


The Auburn Shades of Emerald | [Harmione/Harmony]

by EmeraldMeetsAuburn



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Adventure, Adventure & Romance, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, F/M, Gang Rape, Hogwarts, Hogwarts Era, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Love, Post-Battle of Hogwarts, Post-Hogwarts, Rape, Rape/Non-con Elements, Romance, Rough Sex, Sex, Soul Bond, Threats of Rape/Non-Con, True Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-01
Updated: 2020-12-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:28:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27813028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmeraldMeetsAuburn/pseuds/EmeraldMeetsAuburn
Summary: Feelings are on from the moment Harry & Hermione met on the Hogwarts Express. Impulsive, unexplainable behaviour remains a mystery until both realise what it is: love. But nothing has ever been normal in Harry's life, and love is no exception. The couple unlocks the power of True Love, a phenomenon that has occurred only once in a thousand blue moons. A specific alignment of the stars indicates something huge is on the cards.As Voldemort's resurrection continues to wreak havoc, the Golden Couple and their friends have to find a way to end him once and for all. But is Dumbledore infallible? Are Horcruxes the only ways through which Riddle remains bound to this realm? Or does the one who has traversed the path to immortality farther than any human have another trump card up his sleeve?Will 'the power he knows not', Harry & Hermione's love, survive the ultimate test? What lurks in places unknown to even the greatest of wizards? As they venture into the very roots of magic, what new challenges will they face?A 'First through Seventh Year & beyond' story.
Relationships: Hermione Granger & Harry Potter, Hermione Granger/Harry Potter
Comments: 8
Kudos: 29





	1. The Girl on the Train

**[First Meeting | PS](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gOMfsWefVA) **

**Welcome to** _**The Auburn Shades of Emerald** _ **(TASOE in short). It is one of my first attempts at fanfiction. Criticism is welcome, as long as it is constructive. Forgive me if my vocabulary, word choice and lack of the 'British touch' (which** _**Harry Potter** _ **is supposed to have) do not appeal to you. I'm not particularly good at English. Grammatical errors, spelling mistakes and plot holes, however, do need correction, and I'd be grateful if you'd point out any.**

 **All characters belong to the _w_** _ **ondrous** _ **mind of JK Rowling unless stated explicitly.**

**You can read this fic (and all my other ones) on Wattpad (@EmeraldMeetsAuburn), FF.net (@hpbbladepkmnmcufan) and HPFF.com (@HarmonyForever).**

**Now, without any further ado...**

**On with the fic!**

* * *

"Stick to your ticket!" a man who was by all means a giant said to him. Within a few days of knowing him, he had come to accept him as a friend. A first, as he had never known any friends in the eleven revolutions he had completed around the Sun.

The boy held the ticket tightly in his hands, quite a bit weak for a child his age. His clothes were hand-me-downs and were far too big. He read whatever the ticket said carefully, but his emerald green eyes filled with utter confusion when he saw the platform number, which was there in bold: 9 3/4!

"Nine and three-quarters! That doesn't make any sense!" he said to himself and then aloud "Hagrid, it says platform nine three-quarters! There can't be such a platform. It has to be a mistake!" On hearing no reply, he turned his head to find that Hagrid was gone.

* * *

Puzzled, the boy continued wheeling his trolley and reached the platform which said nine on one side and ten on the other. Every signboard from there to the very end said nine and ten, but there was no sign of nine three-quarters. He decided to ask a guard, but it was of no use. The guard thought he was fooling with him and huffed away. The boy felt a bit of fear. _What if I can't find the platform on time! I'll have to go back to the Dursleys once again, and that would be my doom!_ Just as he was about to start panicking, he saw a flash of red hair. A plump woman was guiding her children, all redheads. They had luggage similar to his. He thought he heard her say 'Muggles' and 'nine three-quarters'. Curious to know if they were wizards, he followed the army of redheads with a slight hint of nervousness.

What he saw left him blinking his eyes in a mixture of surprise and shock. His jaw fell open. _How's that even possible?! Am I seeing what I am seeing? No no, no way, I've got to be hallucinating! How could one ever walk through the wall!_

After two more of the redheads had gone through, he scolded himself. _You are about to enter the magical world, Harry! What do you expect? There'll be a whole lot of crazy things going on. Stop being a coward!_ He finally mustered enough courage to ask the kind-looking lady: "Ex-Excuse me! Could you please tell me how-how to..." he trailed off. "How to get on the platform?", the woman completed for him. Harry replied with a nervous nod. "Oh, don't be afraid m'boy, it's Ron's first time as well," she said, and Harry looked to find a boy his age standing right beside him. "Alright, so listen carefully. You take a deep breath, grip your trolley tightly and walk straight through that _[pointing]_ wall between platforms nine and ten, ok? Oh, and as it is your first time, you might want to close your eyes and run" she smiled. Harry also managed a nervous smile. "Good luck", said a tiny girl, who Harry presumed to be the redheads' sister.

 _Calm down, Harry_.

He took a deep breath, pushed his trolley hard and burst into a sprint. He closed his eyes as soon as the trolley touched the wall, expecting a hard collision, but nothing happened & he went straight through the wall. When he emerged on the other side and opened his eyes, he was overjoyed. He had made it! He had made it to the Wizarding World!

There was a signboard that read 'Hogwarts Express' with another one reading '9 3/4' just below it. On his left stood the Hogwarts Express, the big scarlet & black train with a steam engine belching out small amounts of smoke through the chimney. He gave himself a toothy grin. _The one which will take me to a place where I can begin my life anew_.

* * *

The train was steaming through the country at an amazing pace, leaving clouds of smoke trailing behind. Harry Potter sat alone in a compartment, resignedly looking out of the window.

Suddenly, a fellow popped in. Harry saw a familiar face and red hair peering at him. "Excuse me, do you mind? Everywhere else is full", asked the boy, whose name Harry remembered to be Ron from their 'meeting' at King's Cross, which had involved nothing except a small, nervous smile.

"No, not at all", he replied. The boy came and sat across from him. "I'm Ron, by the way. Ron Weasley", said the boy.

"I'm Harry, Harry Potter."

Ron's eyes went wide with shock. His jaw fell open. "So-so it's true!? I mean do you really have the... the..." he trailed off.

"The what?"

"Scar...?" asked Ron, lowering his voice to a whisper.

"Oh" Harry replied, lifting his messy, jet-black hair to reveal the lighting bolt-shaped scar. The one that was permanent and won't go away, the one that made him famous all over the Wizarding World.

"Wicked!" Ron uttered, his voice full of surprise and still not much louder than a whisper.

* * *

The two new friends were enjoying the sweets that Harry had bought off the trolley. Ron had been ready to have his mushed sandwiches. Harry, however, had stopped the woman and said that they'd take the lot, drawing out a handful of coins from his pocket, to which Ron reacted with a look of a pleasant surprise. They were discussing cards and chocolate frogs and spells. Ron was about to perform a spell to turn his rat Scabbers yellow. Fred had taught it to him. And, as he was soon to know, fooled him for the umpteenth time.

Just then, a girl with bushy brown hair, dressed in robes, appeared at the doorway. "Has anyone seen a toad? A boy named Neville's lost one."

"No" Ron replied.

"Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see then" said the bushy-haired girl.

Ron cleared his throat and began again. "Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, turn this stupid fat rat yellow!" he said loudly and clearly, zapping Scabbers. But nothing happened.

"Are you sure that's a real spell? Well, it's not very good, is it? Of course, I've tried only a few simple spells myself, and they've all worked for me. For example...", she went over and sat across from Harry. She pointed her wand at his glasses and enunciated, "Oculus Reparo". The tape on the nose-band vanished in a jiffy & the frame stiffened up. Harry, whose mind had been somewhere else and hadn't registered a word she had said till then, zapped to life and took off his glasses, amazed to find them as good as new.

"That's better, isn't it?" the-girl-with-the-bushy-brown-hair said. After a second, her eyes went wide with surprise, even if it was only for a second.

"Holy Cricket, you're Harry Potter", she spoke with the slightest hint of amazement. "I'm Hermione Granger... and you are...?" she asked, turning towards Ron.

"I'm... Ron Weasley...", he said, his mouth full. Hermione gave him an inappreciable look of disgust at that.

"Pleasure", she replied. "You two better change into your robes. I expect we'll be arriving soon."

She got up and left, but came back and looked at Ron.

"You've got dirt, on your nose, by the way, did you know? Just there", she said, pointing to the dirt mark on his nose. Ron scratched it, embarrassed.

* * *

Harry hadn't paid attention to the conversation was going on between the girl and Ron until she came and sat across from him. He didn't know why he had been completely mesmerised. All that he was focusing on was her. The way her lips moved when she talked, her bushy brown hair, her nose, the rounds and edges of her face, her slender neck, the way her eyebrows moved, the way her robes swished, her overall appearance. The most enchanting of all were her eyes. Her brown eyes. They had an auburn shade with the slightest hint of gold and shone brilliantly when a sharp ray of the dipping Sun caught her face.

He zapped out of his daze when she repaired his glasses. When she stated that he was Harry Potter, he caught the tiniest hint of surprise in her eyes, even though she thought nobody would notice. And then she said her name. Hermione Granger. It was the sweetest voice he had ever heard, and the name was even more unique. Her attitude spoke volumes about her, and he barely stifled a laugh when she pointed out the dirt on Ron's nose.

 _What was that?_ He thought to himself. _Why was I so distracted? Why was I so lost in her?_ The rambling continued.

 _Hermione Granger... hmm... why does that name sound vaguely familiar? Where have I heard it?_ Harry continued his useless efforts. Somehow, it felt that it wasn't their first meeting.

 _And I don't think it'd be the last, Miss Granger._ He smiled to himself.

* * *

 _Jesus, that was close! Oh, Hermione you stupid dumb girl, why did you have to go on boasting about your brains! And that too in front of Harry Potter! Oh, now he too like all others will think that you are an ugly, mental girl who has no business except going around being a know-it-all. Oh, Hermione, you lost the chance to be friends with Harry Potter!_ She mentally slapped herself for that.

She was supposed to look for Neville's toad but felt the 'urge' to scoff at that Ron boy, who by every measure appeared to be a close friend of Harry Potter. And here she was now, standing in front of the mirror in the lavatory. _Oh, that was so, so, so hilarious!_ _And worst of all, you had to top it off by telling the 'Boy Who Lived' to get into his robes! And then you embarrassed his friend!_ Her eyes glistened with water. "Oh Hermione you haven't even reached school & you messed it all up! Now that Potter boy is sure to tell everyone how bad you are, and then every single student in the school will mock you and crack jokes on you and curse you!" she said aloud. A few tears finally spilt out.

She cried for some time, and by some, at least an hour is implied. The weeping continued until her eyes ran out of water.

_No, you have to be strong. You can't let the demons of your Muggle past haunt you. Grow up, Hermione, you are a witch! You are going to be a brilliant student and make lots of friends. Don't think about Harry Potter. He seems to be a nice boy. He will not mock you. Now grow a spine, be brave, and put on a big smile._

She went back to her compartment and sat down. Hogwarts was still about two hours away, so she took out _Hogwarts: A History_.

However, she stopped reading after ten minutes, finding herself unable to concentrate. She was surprised, as she was that kind of a person who could spend their whole life reading the same book. Somehow, her mind kept wandering back to the 'incident'. Or, more specifically, to Harry Potter.

Messy, untameable hair, just like her own, only raven-coloured instead of brown. Nervous demeanour. Sharp features, even for his age. And most of all, those brilliant, emerald green eyes which were far too beautiful to be real. They had had her attention & she had almost uttered the wrong incantation while repairing his glasses because of there sheer splendour.

 _Cute._ She smiled to herself.

That's when it struck her. _Woah, what!? Cute? Hermione Jean Granger, what has become of you? Since when did you start noticing boys? You're not that type of girl!_

Just then the train started slowing down, and she took this as the cue to pack up. Not that she hadn't done it already, four hours earlier to be precise.

The smile returned. _Now that's my Hermione._

* * *

 **A/N: So here we come to the end of the first chapter. How was it? Too short? Too long? Boring? Difficult to read? I know it was mostly canon except for the last parts. The upcoming chapters shall be close to it as well, but** **there will be differences. A major twist will happen towards the end. But it's a long journey, as covering all Seven Years and beyond is a big task. Updates might take time, a lot of it sometimes, but I'll try my best. I won't make any promises, though. There's a lot of academic pressure on me, too much of it. But I hope my love for** _ **Harry Potter**_ **will last until I finally get the time to do this (and won't pass off as a temporary infatuation).**

**Love, Ash**

**#HarmioneForever**


	2. Chapter 2: Sorting Woes, Quidditch and the Hallowe'en Fiasco

**A/N: I found the above meme pretty hilarious (an even more ridiculous one's down). Just imagine Voldemort's reaction on getting schooled by a girl who is not even a quarter his age! And that too Muggle-born! (Not to insult the Muggle-borns; that's very 'racist'. Besides, Hermione's a fan-favourite :)) Now that's Hermione for ye!**

**#HermioneGranger**

**On with the fic!**

* * *

Harry was pleased to find Hagrid waiting on the side aisle at Hogsmeade. All the First Years were gathered and were taken to the Hogwarts Castle by boat. They were far too awestruck by the majesty and grandeur of the castle to say anything.

Once inside the castle, they were greeted by Professor McGonagall outside the Great Hall. She explained the House & points system to them and asked them to wait while they prepared for the Sorting Ceremony to commence, going inside the Great Hall.

A boy with short white-blond hair spoke up suddenly.

"It's true then, what they're saying on the train. Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts.

The students started whispering.

"This is Crabbe and Goyle. And I'm Malfoy - Draco Malfoy." _**[Malfoy trying to pull off a James Bond lol]**_ Ron snickered at his name.

"Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask yours. Red hair, and a hand-me-down robe? You must be a Weasley. _[Turning back to Harry]_ Well, soon find that some wizarding families are better than others, Potter. Don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there." _[Extending his hand to Harry]_

Harry, not being one to take his arrogance, replied, "I think I can tell who the wrong sort are myself, thanks." Draco glared at him.

McGonagall came back and tapped on Malfoy's shoulder with a piece of parchment. He left Harry alone with one last glare.

* * *

Dumbledore rose to make a few announcements, settling down after completing. From Harry's perspective, they were not what a First Year would like to hear; which child would be comfortable with the prospect of hearing about dying the first thing they come to school? Thankfully, the eerie awkwardness vanished before it had the chance to settle in; the Sorting Ceremony commenced.

McGonagall started calling the names of the students. First up was Hermione.

"Mental, that one, I'm telling you," whispered Ron, to which Harry nodded despite being reluctant, as he did not want to lose a friend.

The Sorting Hat took a moment mulling over whether she should be put in Ravenclaw or Gryffindor but finally went with Gryffindor. Hermione smiled & jumped off the stool amidst a round of applause and went to sit at the Gryffindor table.

"Draco Malfoy."

The Hat nearly freaked before touching down on Malfoy's head. "SLYTHERIN!" it called out, not even taking half a second.

"There isn't a witch or wizard who went bad who wasn't in Slytherin," Ron said to Harry.

"Susan Bones."

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

Harry looked around to spot a pale man with greasy black hair giving him sinister looks. His scar hurt.

"Ronald Weasley." Ron gulped and walked up.

"Ha! Another Weasley. I just know what to do with you - GRYFFINDOR!" The students cheered as Ron sighed with relief and walked down to his brothers.

"Harry Potter."

Pin drop silence. Everything in the Great Hall, animate or inanimate, went silent, anxious to know where would the Boy Who Lived get placed. Dumbledore leaned forward in his seat as young Harry walked up and sat down on the stool nervously. McGonagall placed the Hat on his head.

"Hmm... difficult, very difficult. Plenty of courage I see, not a bad mind, either. There's talent, oh yes, and a thirst to prove yourself. But where to put you?

Harry, not wanting to lose his newfound friendship with Ron (and subconsciously, his _something_ with Hermione), whispered to the Hat, "Not Slytherin. Not Slytherin."

"Not Slytherin, eh? Are you sure? You could be great, you know. It's all here in your head. And Slytherin will help you on your way to greatness! There's no doubt about that. No?"

"Not Slytherin... anything but Slytherin."

"Well, if you're sure... better be... GRYFFINDOR!"

The Great Hall burst into thunderous applause, louder than it had been for anyone else. The Lions were the loudest, with Harry receiving a standing ovation from the Gryffindor Table. The twins Fred and George Weasley, easily identifiable due to their Weasley trademark red hair, exclaimed ecstatically, "We got Potter! We got Potter!"

Harry sat down at the Gryffindor table, shaking hands with everyone. He looked towards Dumbledore, who lifted his goblet and tilted it slightly towards him with a wink as if congratulating him.

* * *

The feast was sumptuous and was the best Harry had ever had in his short life till then. He also got introduced to Sir Nicholas, or 'Nearly Headless Nick'.

The sinister man was Severus Snape. Percy Weasley told Harry that he was the Head of Slytherin House & the Potions teacher, with strong leanings towards the Dark Arts.

The Gryffindor First Years wee introduced to the moving staircases and the animated portraits by Percy. On the seventh floor, they meet the 'Fat Lady', the portrait guard of the entrance to the Gryffindor Tower. Once inside the Common Room, Percy welcomed them and guided them to their dormitories.

* * *

The duo was late for Transfiguration, their first class at Hogwarts. Hermione rolled her eyes (it was to become one of her signature moves :)). They soon found out that McGonagall was a no-nonsense kind of teacher.

* * *

Later in Potions, Harry got ridiculed by Snape, who seemed to hold a very personal grudge against Harry. He developed an instant dislike for the seemingly _dark_ teacher.

* * *

All First Years had mandatory flying lessons with Madam Hooch. Unfortunately, the Gryffindors had it with the Slytherins that day, much to Harry's dislike. He was not exactly happy at the prospect of having to bear Malfoy's arrogance again.

The students stretched out their right hands as instructed.

"Say, 'Up!'"

"Up!" all the students said together. To Harry's surprise, his broom shot up at the first call itself as if they had shared a bond for ages. Hermione was dumbfounded and gave a look that clearly said, _How did he do it!?_

The rest of the class continued their efforts. Malfoy grinned smugly when his broomstick flew up. Hermione's broom kept flailing fiercely. It took some time before it was in her grasp.

When everyone had their broomsticks in their hands, the instructor asked them to mount.

"Three... two..."

Before Madam Hooch could blow the whistle properly, Neville's broomstick rose, taking him with itself. The broom started flying as if cursed. The (seemingly) cowardly Gryffindor was in for one hell of a ride.

* * *

After a particularly nasty fall, Neville was rushed to the Hospital Wing by Hooch, with strict orders for the students to keep their feet on the ground.

Malfoy got hold of Neville's Remembrall, the one he had received through the morning mail.

_"[Snickering]_ Did you see his face? Maybe if the fat lump had given this a squeeze, he'd remembered to fall on his fat arse," said Draco. He and his goons laughed. But Harry was not one to take his arrogance.

"Give it here, Malfoy," he said in a tone that meant business.

"No. I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find," Malfoy sneered, hopping on his broom and trying to show off his flying skills. "How 'bout up on the roof?" _[He soared off and hovered several feet above the ground]_ "What's the matter, Pottah? Bit beyond your reach?"

Harry had had enough. Hermione tried to stop him.

"Harry, no way! You heard what Madam Hooch said! Besides, you don't even know how to fly."

He flew off, ignoring her, and subconsciously feeling bad for being rude.

"What an idiot," she said aloud, expressing her disdain for his actions.

Harry and Malfoy lashed their tongues, with Harry dashing for him at the end. Draco hurled the Remembrall into the air like a baseball. Harry zoomed after the ball, speeding towards a tower. Just as he was about to hit a window, from which McGonagall was working, he caught it. McGonagall noticed and expressed surprise as Harry flew down to the ground, landing at ease as the students rushed towards him with loud cheers. She hastily made her way down as fast as she could.

"Harry Potter?" _[Harry noticed her and everybody fell silent]_ "Follow me." He followed her sullenly.

As they were about to step inside, the voice of a certain small bushy-haired girl to whom Minerva had taken an instant liking cried out, "Professor! Professor McGonagall! Professor!" She turned around to find the girl in question running towards them. As she caught up with them, she panted, trying to catch her breath as her small lungs had run out of air due to her running so fast.

"Professor, please don't expel Harry, it's not his fault! It was Malfoy who took Neville's Remembrall and taunted him for being fat. Harry was simply trying to get it back! Please, Professor!"

"There, there, Miss Granger, calm down! Breathe, breathe. I'm not going to have Mr Potter expelled. I was just going to have him drafted into the Gryffindor Quidditch team!"

Harry breathed a sigh of relief, as he too had feared that he'd be expelled and would have to go back to the Dursleys. He smiled at Hermione as if saying _Thank you!_ The two left as Hermione stood there, wondering how Harry caught McGonagall's eye.

She was puzzled. _Hey, why did I have to run for Harry? It's not that he's been_ overly _kind to me. He's always ignoring me!_

* * *

As Harry and Ron walked through the crowded halls, Sir Nicholas flew by with another lady ghost.

"Have you heard? Harry Potter's the new Gryffindor Seeker. I always knew he'd do well," said Nick to the lady.

"Seeker? But First Years never make their House teams! You must be the youngest Quidditch player in..."

"A century, according to McGonagall," Harry completed for Ron, smiling. At least there was something at which he could do good.

Fred and George approached, congratulating Harry on being drafted. They told him that they were Beaters and that Quidditch was a rough game. Their mentions of blood and brutality didn't exactly sit with Harry, considering he was in his First Year. The twins broke off from him and Ron.

"But I've never even played Quidditch. What if I make a fool of myself?" Harry said to Ron, worriedly.

"You won't make a fool of yourself. It's in your blood," chimed Hermione, who knew what Harry was talking about and jumped up from her work to join them.

She took them to a trophy case and pointed at the plaque mentioning the greatest players Hogwarts had ever seen.

_James Potter, Seeker_.

* * *

After a horrendously scary encounter with a giant three-headed dog, courtesy of the moving staircases, Harry Ron & Hermione hastily returned to the Gryffindor Common Room, out of breath.

"What do you think they're doing? Keeping a thing like that locked up in a school!" exclaimed Ron, clearly mad at the authorities.

"You don't use your eyes, do you? Didn't you see what it was standing on?" questioned Hermione.

"I wasn't looking at its feet! I was a bit preoccupied with its heads. Or maybe you didn't notice, there were three!" retorted Ron. Hermione wasn't doing anything to improve her image in his eyes according to him.

"It was standing on a trap door. Which means, it wasn't there by accident. It's guarding something."

"Guarding something?" asked Harry, puzzled as to why would someone keep a thing that requires such a 'big' guard in a _school_ of all places.

"That's right," replied Hermione, who had had enough of the two nincompoops (as far as her thoughts were concerned). "Now, if you two don't mind, I'm going to bed before either of you come up with another clever idea to get us killed... or worse, **_expelled._ "**

She turned back and left, shutting the door to her dormitory.

"She needs to sort out her priorities," said a dumbfounded Ron.

* * *

_[Charms lesson]_

"Wingardrium Leviosar," enunciated Ron, who then waved his wand really fast numerous times before being stopped by the know-it-all (his thoughts about Hermione).

"Stop, stop, stop. You're going to take someone's eye out. Besides, you're saying it wrong. It's _Levi-_ _ **o**_ _-sa_ , not Leviosar."

Ron huffed, "You do it if you're so clever. Go on, go on."

She straightened up and swished her wand, uttering very clearly, "Wingardium Leviosa". The feather glowed and rose. Ron put his head on his books dejectedly while Hermione earned praise from Professor Flitwick.

_[After the class]_

Harry was walking through a courtyard with Ron, Seamus Finnigan and Neville.

Ron: _[Mimicking Hermione]_ It's Levi- **oooo** -sa, not Levio- **saaaar**. _[Normal voice]_ She's a nightmare, honestly. No wonder she hasn't got any friends!

Hermione, who had been close behind, rushed past him, hugging her books tightly and sniffling in tears. She disappeared into the crowd, deeply hurt by Ron's words.

Harry could've sworn that he heard his heart crack. It took him every ounce of his willpower to stop himself from punching Ron in the face and bloodying him up. Ron noticed the expression on Harry's face and asked what the matter was. With a hint of anger, Harry replied, "You know it. If you really want to hear, then I'd only say that I think she heard you," before storming off in the direction Hermione went, leaving Ron puzzled.

* * *

Harry couldn't concentrate on the lesson. He had searched for Hermione everywhere but in vain. He asked her dormmates, but even they did not have any idea as to where she was. She wasn't present in classes, which was _very_ much unlike Hermione, considering her devotion to studies.

A slight fear gnawed Harry's mind. _What if she's lost? Or worse, what if she's dead?_ At that, Harry shook his head, trying to calm himself. _No, no. Calm down, calm down. She must be all right. She has to be; she's probably just upset._ The reason for her being upset suddenly popped in, making him glare at Ron (who was sitting with Seamus, seeing Harry's grumpy mood). _Oh, Ron, why do you have to be such a bloody git all the time! You're no better than Dudley! I want to punch you in the face so bad that you wouldn't even dream of doing that to anyone, much less to Hermione. How could you!?_

His thoughts shifted. _Maybe I should have punched you. It was so foolish of me to keep my mouth shut while you kept poking fun at Hermione all the time._ His mind filled with tremendous guilt and self-doubt.

_Oh, now Hermione will think I'm a bully too! No, no way! I'm going to win you, Hermione. I want to be friends with you. I'll never let anyone hurt you anymore!_ He silently resolved.

* * *

That Hallowe'en night everyone was at the feast except Hermione. Harry's worry had increased tenfold. Not even the most delicious of treats & dishes could lure him.

Dean Thomas, one of Harry's dormmates, asked, "What's wrong, Harry? Lunch not sitting well?"

"Hermione, she's nowhere to be found!" replied Harry, his words full of fear.

A girl sitting nearby had overheard their conversation and said, "Hermione Granger, that know-it-all? Why are you losing sleep over her!? She was in the girls' lavatory on the first floor the last time I heard of her. One of my friends said that she's been crying her eyes out..."

Harry heard no more; he was already on his feet running out of the Hall the moment he harked the words 'girls' lavatory on the first floor'. His feet weren't touching the ground. He was determined to get to Hermione as fast as he could, console her, apologise for being a git, and never let her feel lonely again.

As he reached the entrance, he heard sobs coming from one of the stalls. As he entered, he called out, stuttering, "H-Hermione, are you in there?"

"Who? Who're you!? Go away, this is the girls' loo!" she cried out amidst sobs, not looking up to see who it was.

Harry's heart broke into a million pieces. There sat Hermione, on the top of a toilet, face in her hands. Her hair was dishevelled even more than it usually was. Even though he couldn't see her face, he knew it was smeared with salty water.

"H-Hr-Hermione..." he trailed off, his voice barely audible. This time though, Hermione did lift her head.

A flash of joy lit up her face. "Ha-Harry?" she uttered. But the sensation was short-lived, and her expression immediately changed to one of disgust & anger. "GO AWAY!" she screamed, bursting into tears once more. "WHY HAVE YOU COME HERE!? TO MOCK ME EVEN MORE THAN YOU ALREADY DO! TAUNT ME FOR BEING A KNOW-IT-ALL! KILL ME FOR NOT HAVING ANY FRIENDS!?"

Harry was shocked at her sudden outburst. He didn't know she was bottling it up to this extent. He felt his eyes starting to water as well.

Then all of a sudden, he rushed forward and hugged her. She was surprised and started flailing angrily. "LET ME GO! LET ME GO, YOU BLOODY GIT! HOW DARE YOU TOUCH ME! LET ME GO!" She was lashing out quite hard, but he only hugged her tighter with each hit.

Her hits began weakening after a while. Her crying changed into sobs. "Let me go. Let me go. Let me go..." her words trailed off. Slowly, her words changed to "Don't let me go... Don't..."

Her hands snaked around his back and touched him softly. A warm, tingling sensation ran through his body, and he tightened his grip even more than was possible.

Her sobs lowered to sniffles, and very soon they both were hugging each other as if their lives depended on it.

Hermione pulled back after a while, getting off the seat and wiping her face with her robes. "Thank you," she uttered softly, a slight smile forming on her face.

Harry, instead of being happy, lowered his head. "No," he said in a voice so feeble that even he couldn't hear it. "No, H-Hermione, I-I don't deserve it. I-I'm not worthy of your thanks," he said.

"Why?" Hermione asked, puzzled.

"I'm sorry, Hermione. I-I should've stopped Ron from hurting you. I know how it feels to be constantly bu-bullied for being who you are. I am sorry. I really am."

"You don't need to butter me. Who would bully you? You're the famous 'Boy Who Lived'!" replied Hermione, slightly agitated.

"I-I can't... I don't - I don't want to talk about it..." he trailed off.

"No, you _are_ going to talk about it," said Hermione, temporarily forgetting her grief and returning to her bossy self.

Harry sighed. "Fine," he said softly, "if you want to hear about it, then here it goes: I was brought up by my aunt and uncle, who're the worst sort of Muggles imaginable. Th-they made me a s-slave..."

"M-My uncle - He used to - He used to beat me. The cupboard under the stairs was my bedroom. Whenever I couldn't do something the way they wanted, they used to lock me up without food for days, so that I-I would st-sta-starve.."

"I have hand-me-down clothes, and I never had any presents on my birthdays; the first I ever got was from Hagrid, who brought me a cake along with my Hogwarts letter."

And my cousin Dudley - he- he and his goons - he and his goons - they used to b-beat me - mash me like potatoes..." Harry trailed off, on the verge of crying.

Hermione's tears spilt out once again; "Oh, Harry!" she cried out, dashing towards him. She hugged him as if he was the one thing she couldn't afford to lose. He hugged her back, clutching her head and burying it in his shoulder while his other arm wrapped itself around her back. His tears fell on top of her head; not that she cared.

They calmed down slowly in each other's embrace, their wails changing into sobs.

There was a great rumbling, and a foul smell wafted into the bathroom followed by quakes. The two looked up.

Harry moved a bit to Hermione's front, covering her. He tried to be brave, although fear was evident in his eyes.

The quakes grew in magnitude, and the smell caused Hermione to pinch her nose.

Harry's eyes widened with fear when he saw who had walked in: a **Mountain troll!**

* * *

The troll looked around for a moment, trying to judge his new surroundings. He looked down to spot two quivering human children, the male one protectively standing in front of the female. As a troll's brain works slowly, it took him a moment to register that he was not alone. When realisation dawned upon him, he raised his club menacingly. He swung it down hard, demolishing several stalls in the process. Harry caught Hermione and ducked. She let out an ear-piercing shriek.

"Hermione, RUN" he managed to scream, pushing her away. "NO!" she cried out in return. "You don't understand, you..." Harry couldn't complete his sentence as he had to duck again. Hermione took shelter under the sinks. What could she do? Her mind had stopped working.

The troll raised his club again, bringing it down with great force. Hermione screamed and got out just in time. The sink below which she had been, shattered. The pipes burst, adding to the water that had already collected on the floor due to the demolished stalls.

_Quick, quick, quick, do something! You can't lose Hermione!_ Harry's thoughts ran. He was frantically trying to think of a way to get out safely with Hermione.

He was crying on the inside. _You're such a big fool; it's all because of you. All of this is your fault. WHY DID YOU NOT STOP RON!? WHY!? WHY!?_

The thought of Ron suddenly brought the reason Hermione was there to the front of his mind. The levitation charm. Wingardium Leviosa. _That's it! That's it! Wingardium Leviosa!_

Harry got up and took a deep breath. Just as the troll sought to bring his club down on Hermione the last time, he swished his wand & enunciated very clearly, "WINGARDIUM LEVIOSA!"

A flick and the club hung midair. The troll looked around, wondering where did the club go. He looked up to find it hovering over his head.

Harry released the charm. The club fell on the troll's head and hit it with a resounding crack.

* * *

Hermione was curled up on the floor, hands over her head, praying for the end to be quick and not too painful. But when nothing hit her, she looked up to find Harry levitating the club over the troll's head. He let go of the charm. There was a resounding crack as the club hit the troll's head. He wobbled for a few seconds and then fell to the floor, unconscious.

Harry rushed to Hermione and held her in his arms. At the moment, she was the most precious thing to him. Her body was quivering at a very high rate. He pulled her head into his shoulder, trying to process all that had happened.

* * *

McGonagall got to know about Harry's rushed exit through Ron. She was furious and had every intention of punishing him severely. The Head of Gryffindor House walked into the bathroom in question with some other professors behind her, very tense. The sight of the dreaded troll treated her as soon as she stepped into the bathroom. She took a step back, shaking fearfully.

She turned her gaze to find Harry Potter clutching Hermione Granger for dear life on the floor. Both were breathing heavily, and Granger was shaking like a leaf.

She snapped back into her 'strict professor' mode and said aloud, "Potter! Granger! What are you two doing here!? Explain yourselves!"

At her sudden outburst, Harry turned around to find Minerva McGonagall fuming at them. He feared that this might be the end of his life in the Wizarding World.

"Pro-Professor McGonagall, I can explain..." he began but was cut short by Hermione. "Professor, it-it was my f-fault. I had read about t-trolls and thought that I could do something, but-but I - Harry saved me. If it weren't for him, I would've been d-de-dead," she lied, stiffening up at the last word. Harry rubbed his hand along her arm to make her shivers subside.

"Well, well, Miss Granger, I must say that it was a _disastrous_ idea... I have to say that I'm very disappointed in you. That would be 5 points from Gryffindor." Hermione looked very guilty. McGonagall continued. "As for you Mr Potter, a _First Year_ taking down a fully-grown mountain troll all by themselves is rare, very rare indeed. For your astonishing display of courage and for saving Miss Granger's life, I award you 55 points," she said, smiling. Harry nodded in return.

His eyes fell upon Snape, who was standing behind the Transfiguration teacher. His robes had a large tear at the leg. He was sporting a big gash. Suspiciously, he narrowed his eyes. Snape's eyes widened the tiniest bit for a moment, reflecting _some_ emotion, before returning to their inscrutable form. He hid the gash and left.

"Now you two might want to separate, seeing that you're both soaked to the bones!" said McGonagall, leaving with the others to call Dumbledore. As she walked away, she smiled to herself. _Well, the way he was holding her certainly meant a lot more._ She might have been old, but she knew young love when she spotted it.

Harry and Hermione looked towards themselves at McGonagall's remark. They both coloured and got up quickly. When they were up, their eyes met for a moment. The following blush would've made a Weasley proud. They looked around awkwardly for a few moments before Hermione broke the deadlock.

"Er..." she uttered before blushing again as her eyes caught Harry's. "So-so... er... are we good?"

"Er... I guess yes - yeah, we-we're good," Harry replied shyly, smiling.

"Er... friends, then?" asked Hermione. Harry's head fell. He couldn't find the right words. A slight fear crept into Hermione's mind upon receiving no reply. "Harry?" she asked nervously.

"Uh-yea-yes?" he replied, snapping out of his silent reflection.

"Wh-What's the matter?"

"Er... nothing! Nothing!"

"Er... uhm... Harry, it's fine if you don't want to be friends..." she said, but her words were cut short by his voice. "No! No, Hermione. It's not that I don't want us to be friends, it-it's just - it's just Ron."

"I can try to put up with him better."

Harry was surprised. "Really?" he asked, unsure of his hearing.

"Yes."

"Th-thanks Hermione... I know Ron's a big fool but..."

"I don't want to lose him. He's my first real friend, not counting Hagrid."

"I understand, Harry. Nobody would want to lose a friend." Extending her right hand, she asked once again, "So... friends?"

Harry's hand met hers and caught it in a tight grip. He got distracted by its softness momentarily, but quickly got himself together, put on a smile and shook it firmly.

"Friends."

* * *

**A/N: Again, fully canon except for the last parts. But don't be dejected! A lot's going to come up as the story progresses. Patience yields sweet fruits!**

**Till then**

**#HarmioneForever**


	3. Slytherin Shades of Quidditch

* * *

Harry and Hermione went to the Hospital Wing to have themselves checked by Madam Pomfrey. After giving them a once-over, she dosed them with a potion and a Calming Draught each to deal with any signs of PTSD. They got dismissed quickly, having suffered only a few minor cuts & bruises (which were already healing thanks to the potion). But the discharge did not come without a strict warning against letting themselves get caught in such a situation again (which was futile, considering the number of adventures they were to have :)).

An awkward silence hung around them as they made their way back to Gryffindor Tower. Harry's eyes kept wandering to his left, stealing glances of Hermione. Unbeknownst to him, she was doing the same. Deciding to end the silence, Hermione looked straight ahead and initiated dialogue.

"So, Harry. How are your studies going?"

"What? Oh... uhm... fine! I'm doing fine."

"Well, I was just asking. You seem to be a bit boggled in Potions."

"Uhm... well, I-I really can't do anything with Snape constantly targeting me. Not one class passes without his taunts. It makes me feel as if I am a repulsive bug..." He was about to continue but was cut short by Hermione, who stopped abruptly and snapped her head towards him.

"Harry James Potter, how could you think so low of yourself! You are by no means repulsive. For God's sake, you are the most attractive boy of the lot!" she exclaimed angrily, daring him to cross her.

Harry was shocked at her sudden outburst, and even more by her last sentence. " _For God's sake, you are the most attractive boy of the lot!_ " The words rang in his head. A blush crept up his face.

"Hermione, I..." he trailed off, unable to complete.

A bit puzzled and still angry, she asked "What!?" before it dawned upon her. Her eyes went wide with shock & her face turned crimson. Her hand went over her mouth. _The most attractive boy of the lot? Oh, Hermione, what have you done?!_ She mentally reprimanded herself before managing to say in a barely audible voice, "H-Harry, I-I...I'm sorry..."

"Oh... er... l-let's forget about it. It-it never happened, right?" declared the still bemused Harry, mustering some of the Gryffindor courage.

"Er... fine," muttered Hermione, still blushing a bit and averting her gaze.

* * *

The rest of the walk ended quickly as each of the two friends was eager to get to their respective dorms as fast as possible. But apparently, there were other plans in store for them. A barrage of questions unleashed itself upon them as soon as they entered the Common Room.

"Where have you been?"

"What about the troll?"

"Did you _really_ defeat the troll, Harry?"

All the Gryffindor First Years surrounded them, making further movement impossible. Harry was surprised at the pace with which the news spread. But then, this was the magical world.

"Harry?" asked a familiar voice. The rest of the crowd spaced apart a bit to reveal Ron Weasley.

Both Harry and Hermione tensed up and shot looks of slight disgust towards him. They were still quite a bit cross with Ron despite their proposed arrangements.

"Oh, thank Merlin! I thought you were dead!"

"There is someone who might have been dead thanks to _you_ ," Harry retorted, giving off waves of anger.

Thankfully, Ron got the hint. He began in a very apologetic tone, "Hermione, I am sorry...really sorry for whatever happened. I-I should not have humiliated you. I'm thankful to Harry for being there otherwise - He averted a big - A grave sin would've plagued me. I'm sorry for being such a big git. I understand if you might not like to have me near..."

"It's alright, Ron. I was a bit too bossy around you. I don't know if we can ever be fine, but at least I can try, considering you're Harry's friend."

The two gave small smiles. Harry was happy to see things work out, even though he was sure that he was going to give Ron a tough time if he did anything else to make Hermione feel bad.

But he was happy for the time being. The Golden Trio had been formed.

* * *

Breakfast the following day was a dull affair. The gang sat, eating. Harry, however, kept twirling his fork instead of putting it in his mouth.

With his first-ever Quidditch match, the season-opener against Slytherin, staring him in the face, he was nervously quiet. It reminded him of the El Clásico of football, which he had seen Dudley watch with keen interest while cleaning. Sadly, he had never watched the event (or anything else on the telly for that matter) for more than a minute, with Uncle Vernon's almost intimidating possessiveness with the telly keeping him at bay. It was as if he were a monster who'd devour it if allowed to have even a glance. _But then_ , _it's insignificant, considering he thinks of me as a nothing but a freaky piece of filth whose very presence taints his home_. He let out a deep sigh.

Ron & Hermione had been worriedly witnessing his silent contemplation. The Seeker running low on confidence before such a big match was not at all a good sign for Gryffindor.

"Take a bit of toast, mate, go on."

"Ron's right, Harry. You're gonna need your strength today."

"I'm not hungry," Harry offered in response to his friends' gentle wheedling. A pale darkness caught his attention.

"Good luck today, Potter," Snape said, coming from behind & drawing attention. "Then again, now that you've proven yourself against a troll, a little game of Quidditch should be easy work for you... even if it is against Slytherin," he observed slyly, walking off with a swirl of his robes. However, his limp didn't escape Harry's sharp Seeker eyes.

"That explains the blood."

"Blood?" Hermione asked, confused.

Nodding, he continued, "Listen, last night, I'm guessing Snape let the troll in as a diversion so he could try and get past that three-headed dog. But, he got himself bitten, that's why he's limping."

"But why would anyone go near that dog?" asked Hermione, not being able to appreciate why anyone in their sane mind would submit themselves to certain death!

"The day I was at Gringotts, Hagrid took something out of one of the vaults. He said it was Hogwarts' business, very secret," proffered Harry.

"So you're saying..."

"That's what the dog's guarding. That's what Snape wants."

Breaking through their conversation, Hedwig swooped into the Hall, screeching. She dropped off a large, long parcel at the table.

"Bit early for mail, isn't it?" remarked Hermione.

"But I-I never get mail," Harry stated, surprised. It was the only mail he'd ever got, apart from his Hogwarts letter.

"Let's open it," Ron chimed in.

Harry couldn't believe his eyes when the wrapper came off. "It's a broomstick!" he exclaimed joyfully.

"That's not just any broomstick, Harry," Ron observed. His eyes widened upon identifying the model. "It's a Nimbus 2000!"

Harry's jaw fell open at that. "But who...?" he looked around questioningly.

It was then he spotted Professor McGonagall stroking Hedwig up at the High Table, smiling at him. He acknowledged her with a nod and mentally promised himself to do his best to nurture her trust in his abilities.

* * *

Two minutes into the match and Harry knew it; the Slytherins were willing to do anything, _anything_ , to win. Marcus Flint seemed to have no respect for others' lives. _Seriously? He knocked Wood off his broom just to win?_

Scores level, Harry knew he had to get the Snitch. As if on command, the nasty little golden winged-ball made itself visible to him. Just as he started to head off after it, his broom started bucking and turning.

"Whoa! Whoa!"

"What's going on with Harry's broomstick?" asked Hagrid, concerned.

Hermione looked through her binoculars. She couldn't fathom anything. _What in Merlin's name is happening!?_

Suddenly, her eyes caught Snape. He was visibly muttering. She pulled back, mouth open.

Shock. _Snape's jinxing the broom?_ She was aghast. How could a teacher possibly hold so much against a student, to the extent of endangering their life? It was beyond her comprehension.

An irrepressible sense of anger filled her insides. Pure anger; bordering on the edge of rage. _SNAPE! HOW DARE YOU...!?_ She had to fight the irresistibly strong urge to hex him into oblivion then & there.

Ron couldn't decipher Hermione's transient facial expression. He cautiously asked with a mixture of bafflement and concern, "What's wrong, Hermione?"

She gave him a positively murderous look. _Harry is facing DEATH out there, and this git here is asking what's wrong!?_ However, the rational part of her mind chimed in. _It's not his fault. Don't take it out on the wrong person._ Deciding to pay heed to it, she relaxed her expression by the tiniest amount.

"It's Snape!" she barked and sped off.

Harry, on the other hand, was trying his very best to maintain his balance but in vain. The slightest move to take control only caused the broom to shake even more vigorously than before. And all of a sudden, it gave him such a mighty jerk that he fell off.

Hermione's heart stopped. She wanted to scream, but couldn't. _HARRY!_

The sight of him getting thrown off the broom played in slow motion. It was only an instant, but to Hermione, it was an eternity.

For that moment, that infinitesimally small moment, she _died._ She didn't know why did Harry affect her so much. Frankly, she didn't care. She just couldn't bear the thought of losing Harry, her first friend. Questions like why or how didn't exist.

But Harry's natural Seeker reflexes kicked in just in time for him to grab hold of the stick. There hung Harry Potter, a hundred feet off the ground, dangling from his jinxed broom by one hand.

A sudden, unexplainably enigmatic sense of relief flooded her insides. _He's alive! He's safe! He's safe!_

The respite, however, was short-lived as the damned broom chose exactly that instant to start bucking again.

The rational part of her mind kicked in again. _Not for long, you silly girl! Hurry!_

With that, she resumed her mad dash for Snape.

After what seemed like hours (which in reality was just a few seconds, thanks to adrenaline), she found herself in the tower, just under the bench on which Snape sat. Face red, heart pounding against her chest and lungs screaming for breath; all her weariness vanished with one glance up.

Curbing her inexplicable urge to jump and strangle him, she took out her wand & touched it to his cloak, deciding to (merely) provide a distraction. Somehow, the logical part of her mind was still functioning, even though she had every intention of quelling it for once. The cloak ignited as soon as the words 'Lacarnum Inflamarae' escaped her lips. She ran off, hoping for the bastard to get roasted to death.

"Fire! You're on fire!" exclaimed a man sitting beside Snape.

"What?" Snape asked, before getting up with an alarmed "Oh!". He knocked back the man, who fell, taking Quirell with him too. Snape batted it out quickly and settled down as if nothing had happened.

With the jinx intercepted, the Nimbus stopped bucking. Harry used all of his strength to hoist himself back onto the broom. He took off immediately, seeing the Slytherin Seeker after the Snitch.

Hermione kept her eyes shut the whole time. She was still making her way back to Ron & Hagrid when chants of "Go go Gryffindor!" reached her ears. She stopped, turning towards a shade of light she knew was an opening in the tower structure.

Slowly, she mustered enough courage to open one eyelid. The sight of Harry zooming through the air filled her with joyous, enthralling delight. A big smile crept up her face as her second eyelid opened involuntarily. "GO GRYFFINDOR! GO HARRY!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.

Harry had been oblivious to the crowd's chants until then. But when the sound of Hermione's sweet voice reached him, he turned his head ever so slightly to take a look. Giving her a tight smile and an imperceptible nod, he leaned forward and raced off at continually higher speeds.

Drawing level with the Slytherin Seeker, he rammed into him but got butted out. Returning, he smashed his rival once again. They continued on the threateningly dangerous trajectory that the Snitch had taken in that position. The ground kept getting nearer & nearer. Harry had no intention of retreating. The fear of ramming straight into the ground got better of his Slytherin counterpart. He, however, continued on his downward journey, drawing gasps from the crowd.

_Is he completely off the rocker! What is he up to?!_ "HARRY!!!" Hermione screamed, covering her eyes in fright.

Just as he was about to meet certain death, the Snitch swerved at right angles. He pulled on his broom with all his might and set his eyes on the Snitch. But it was out of his reach even at top speed. _What now!?_ Finally, it struck him. He knew what he was about to do was very dangerous, but it was the only way.

He let go of his left hand and started to stand up. Hermione, who had just had a breather, panicked for the umpteenth time. _Does he have even one knut worth common sense left? He has no respect for his life! He has no respect for my life!_

Harry was now standing on the thin strip that was his Nimbus. He was teetering dangerously; one wrong move and a broken bone for sure. Even though he was now only a few feet off the ground, he knew it'd hurt.

But he had to do it. Steeling his resolve, he steadied himself and reached for the nasty flying ball. He put every inch of muscle behind that stretch. His fingers were very close to brushing the Snitch.

But he faltered. Faltered at the last moment, going too far and toppling off the broom with a yelp. The crowd gasped. But one girl went completely numb.

Hermione Jean Granger. She _died_ for the second time that day. The only hope for her resurrection was Harry James Potter.

Thankfully, the supposed _death_ was short-lived. Her heart resumed beating when Harry Potter showed signs of life. He moved a bit, taking his time. But he lurched on getting up. Instinctively, Hermione let out a gasp and moved forward.

On the second lurch, something popped out of his mouth and into his hands. Something light. Something golden. Something spherical.

Commentator Lee Jordan called out: "HE'S GOT THE SNITCH! HARRY POTTER RECEIVES 150 POINTS FOR CATCHING THE SNITCH!"

Madam Hooch blew her whistle and shouted out the golden words: "GRYFFINDOR WIN!"

The whole crowd cheered loudly, except for the Slytherins. Gryffindor was extra loud, with Hagrid fist-pumping and McGonagall giggling. But none of them was happier than Hermione Granger.

"WOO-HOO!" called out Hermione, making for the stairs.

"GO GO GRYFFINDOR! GO GO GRYFFINDOR! GO GO GRYFFINDOR!" the crowd cheered as Harry raised the Snitch into the air. His teammates circled him, applauding happily.

But the appearance of a third person on the pitch brought the chants to a halt. Murmurs ran through the crowd as everyone tried to decipher the identity of the intruder.

"HARRY!! HARRY!!" Harry turned upon hearing his name, only to be hit by a missile.

A female missile.

A bushy-haired missile.

Hermione ran straight into his abdomen and clutched his back tightly. She was laughing madly, trying to regain her breath.

Harry was still baffled at what was happening. It took him a few moments to register things. Here was Hermione, hugging him for dear life in front of the whole school. His lips parted, but no words came out.

She looked up.

That was his undoing; her insanely beautiful brown eyes. The very same ones that had tranced him on the train wove his magic around him once more.

He saw several emotions swirling through them: joy, laughter, glee, pain, relief; everything. But there was one he couldn't identify. One he didn't know.

However, his trance broke when she suddenly pushed him away. Snapping out, he saw anger. Rage. Furious rage.

Before he could make a move, a reverberating sound ran through his ears. For a few seconds, he was numb. And then a strange warmth filled his left cheek. His hand automatically went up to touch it.

"HARRY JAMES POTTER, HOW DARE YOU SCARE ME!! HOW DARE YOU SCARE ME LIKE THAT!!!"

A gasp ran through the crowd for the second time in the day. It was what caught Hermione's attention.

Rage changed to confusion. And confusion to fear.

Her eyes went so wide one could just pop them out. Her gaze went round all before finally settling on Harry, who was still in the same state.

An intense rush of embarrassment filled Hermione. It was unprecedented, unlike one she'd ever felt before.

Without a word, she turned around and ran away, away from Harry.

* * *

Harry stood there, dumbfounded. Too many things happened in too little time for him to comprehend.

One moment he was on his broom, trying to reach for the Snitch, the next he was on the ground. The Snitch found its way from his mouth to his hands, and he was holding it up amidst loud cheers. And then he heard a familiar voice call him.

As soon as he turned, something hit him. It was faster than a bludger, but it was warm & fuzzy. It was throbbing with joy, with-with - _life_. It had bushy hair.

And then it looked up. It had eyes. Brown eyes. Auburn eyes. Harry faintly remembered seeing them somewhere in a very similar state. The eyes showed a thousand emotions, each one inseparably mixed with the others. There was one he couldn't read. The _one._

The next thing he knew, the warmth disappeared, and the eyes glared at him with rage. There was a short pause.

Something sounded. Something landed on his cheek.

And then the missile that had hit him departed with the same pace it came.

Suddenly, he realised that the _missile_ was a human. It was a girl and had bushy hair & brown eyes.

It was Hermione.

* * *

Harry was frantically searching the corridors. He'd looked everywhere he could think of: the classrooms, the Common Room, the bathrooms; every single place in the castle he knew. But there was simply no sign of her.

_Where on Earth are you, Hermione!?_

A beautiful picture of her came to the front of his mind: A small, cute girl with bushy hair, mesmerising eyes, and... _books._

_Books?_

Cognisance dawned upon him. Hermione LOVES books. She adores - no - _worships_ books. And the only place where she can be amongst books is the library.

_The library!_ He thought. _That's it. The library. Oh, Harry, you big dumbo!_ Without a second thought, he raced off to the home of books.

Now, the Hogwarts library was big - no - ridiculously _huge._ Getting to it was easy; looking for someone in there? A totally different ballgame.

He wandered amidst the rows and rows of shelves, each filled to breaking capacity, looking for any signs of life without success. The residents were still on their way back from the Quidditch pitch.

A soft cry came from the Magical Creatures section. Close attention revealed it to be sobbing. The sounds grew in intensity as Harry made his way towards the source. To his heart's delight, it was Hermione.

But the sensation was fleeting; it disappeared when another of her sobs reached his ears. Gingerly, he inched forward and placed a trembling hand on her shoulder.

Scared, she got off her seat with a surprised yelp & turned around, panting. Silence reigned for several moments as Harry once again got lost in her. To an outsider, she was an absolute mess. To him, she was _beautiful_. The untamable mane, the tears that traced fascinating paths along her face, the light drip of mucus from her nose, the mesmerisingly watery eyes, full of a thousand emotions; all seemed to accentuate her beauty.

A shaky voice cut through his reverie. He was somewhat annoyed about having to snap out of his daydream. But the slight vexation was immediately pushed back by recognition.

"Ha-Harry?"

"Oh, y-yes, it's me."

The tears spilt out once again as she lunged onto him. "Oh, Harry!"

Unsure whether he should touch her or not, he placed a hand lightly on her head and began stroking it upon sensing no discomfort. He let her cry to her heart's content, standing there for what seemed like hours.

She let him go when the tears stopped, wiping her eyes & nose. "Thank you," she smiled a little, "I needed it."

"No, you didn't."

"Huh?"

"You didn't need to cry. Why did you cry?"

"Oh... uhm..." _Because I'm a dunderhead_ , she thought to herself, before managing to choose the words, "Because I behaved like a stu-stupid person!"

"I don't think that," Harry said, "Alright, yes your actions were a bit _odd_ , maybe, but I don't think running onto the field to congratulate someone is _stupid_."

"B-But I-I slap - I slapped you!"

"Now _that_ part demands some explanation," he said, trying to sound a bit stern. "Why did you do that?"

"Uhm... I-I can't!"

"You have to."

"I thought-I thought... I - I thought I l-lost you," she muttered under her breath, looking down as her eyes teared up a bit once again. But Harry caught her. He held her shoulders and asked her to look up. "Look at me, Hermione." He succeeded on the third try.

"You're not losing me." She smiled a bit at that.

"Besides," he proclaimed airily, letting go of her, "I'm not leaving you without irritating you into next week!" That earned him a glare and a teary snort of mirth and before laughter took over completely.

* * *

**A/N: I don't know why I didn't find this chapter doing an overly good job satiating my taste. I could've done a better job; my writing skills are not exactly pleasing. Still, do drop something!**

**I also have a small announcement to make: I've decided on an update schedule. I'm doing two fics right now, this and** _**The One** _ **. Academic pressure is finally weighing down on me. So instead of procrastinating even more than I already have (over 1.5 years to be precise), I need to do something concrete. Even though I don't want to admit, but real life is more important than this hypothetical one (oh, I so much wish it were all true!).**

**A new chapter shall be up for both my fics sometime during the first seven days of each month. This chapter was the last one for this year; chapter four's due in the first week of January.**

**I know it's a snail's pace, but there's not much I can do, no matter how much I want to.**

**Apologies!**

**Happy New Year in advance. Let's just hope '21 is better than '20.**

**Till then**

**#HarmioneForever**


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